Construction of residential or commercial buildings includes outer walls built from vertical and horizontal members. The vertical and horizontal members are typically wood or metal. The vertical and horizontal members are combined into a frame structure. The frame structure can be constructed on top of a floor structure or the frame structure can be built separately from the floor structure and subsequently positioned on top of the floor structure. An insulating member is typically positioned between the foundation and the frame structure. The insulating member is intended to prevent the flow of air from passing between the foundation and the floor structure.
An exterior sheathing is attached to the exterior of the frame structure. The exterior sheathing provides structural rigidity to the frame structure. The exterior sheathing is typically made of oriented strand board (OSB), waferboard or plywood panels. An exterior air barrier is applied to the exterior sheathing. The exterior air barrier is configured to prevent the flow of air through the frame structure. The exterior air barrier is typically a spunbonded olefin or other synthetic material made of high-density polyethylene fibers.
The purpose of the exterior air barrier is to reduce the flow of air through the frame structure. It would be advantageous if an improved air barrier system could be provided for wall construction.